The Best Comicbook Movie You Never Heard of... Until Now!

[NewEnglandGothic]

The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Extraordinary_Adventures_of_Ad%C3%A8le_Blanc-Sec_(film'>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Extraordinary_Adventures_of_Ad%C3%A8le_Blanc-Sec_(film)

 

I didn't know what to make of this French import directed by Luc Besson when I originally finished it. It was Amelie meets Indiana Jones with some relation to The Mummy with a little Fifth Element splashed in with some Baron Munchausen in for good measure. One thing is for sure, I couldn't get this production out of my head after finishing it.

 

Louise Bourgoin plays the titular early-20th century explorer, dodging enemies, riding pterodactyls, raiding Egyptian tombs and uleashes a beneign horde of mummies in Paris to save her sick sister.

 

It's based on a historical fantasy comic book series first appearing in 1976 written and illustrated by French comics artist Jacques Tardi and published in album format by Belgian publisher Casterman

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Extraordinary_Adventures_of_Ad%C3%A8le_Blanc-Sec

 

It's dubbing is horrible, but the production values are eyepopping enough to overlook it. It was planned as a trilogy, but I don't know where it's heading now.

 

The whole movie feels like this weird dream you are having then when you wake up you can remember everything in it. I figured I would share this light Steampunk-ish farce to you guys.

 

Check it out sometime for a funnybook summer movie alternative. (thumbs u

[dupont2005]

I didn't know Tardi did anything but war comics, but I've just heard of him recently. I own two of his comics, read one so far.

[NewEnglandGothic]

Yeah, I saw it (a woman riding a pterodactyl on the cover) in Target for $10 about 6 months ago. I couldn't resist buying it when I saw Luc Besson directed it. Never heard of Jaques Tardi before, but after watching the behind the scenes too, I'm interested in picking up the Adele books sometime down the road. Heard there's a Director's Cut floating about, if I can find a Region 1 sometime, I'll double dip for sure. Louise Bourgoin really did a great job with her character during the supporting cast chaos of the plots crashing into each other . The twist of why her sister is ailing and why Adele needs to cure her was just perfectly revealed (to a mummy no less ). Like I said earlier, this movie feels like some kind of dream, from a madman maybe.

 

I hope some of you guys can catch this movie sometime. There's lots to be discussed.

[sakaridis]

This movie is absolutely awesome! I've seen it four times since it came out in the theaters and I'm fairly sure I'll be seeing it at least once a year for the rest of my life!

 

Great fun, amazing visuals, ridiculously awesome plot, fascinatingly weird supporting characters, excellent acting. It's everything a comic book movie should be! (thumbs u

 

(And Louise Bourgoin is )

 

BTW, the comic series it is based on is, simply put, a masterpiece. Jacques Tardi is one of the greatest writer/artists in European Comics history. Those who can't read French should be grateful that Fantagraphics is publishing new editions of his works.

[Bosco685]

 

Haven't seen this yet.

[ebtorres]

Hadn't heard of this, but you had me at Luc Besson... I'll definitely look for it now and give it a shot probably over the weekend.

 

[Davenport]

Thanks for the heads-up! (thumbs u Adele is on Netflix so I'll definitely be checking it out.

 

Just sampled another Netflix weird fantasy I've never heard of, Space Pirate Captain Harlock based on some manga. The snippet I saw looked visually stunning, so I cued it for the weekend. Maybe a double-feature with Adele.

 

[NewEnglandGothic]

Hadn't heard of this, but you had me at Luc Besson... I'll definitely look for it now and give it a shot probably over the weekend.

 

(thumbs u

 

 

Thanks for the heads-up! (thumbs u Adele is on Netflix so I'll definitely be checking it out.

 

Just sampled another Netflix weird fantasy I've never heard of, Space Pirate Captain Harlock based on some manga. The snippet I saw looked visually stunning, so I cued it for the weekend. Maybe a double-feature with Adele.

 

[NewEnglandGothic]

This movie is absolutely awesome! I've seen it four times since it came out in the theaters and I'm fairly sure I'll be seeing it at least once a year for the rest of my life!

 

Great fun, amazing visuals, ridiculously awesome plot, fascinatingly weird supporting characters, excellent acting. It's everything a comic book movie should be! (thumbs u

 

(And Louise Bourgoin is )

 

BTW, the comic series it is based on is, simply put, a masterpiece. Jacques Tardi is one of the greatest writer/artists in European Comics history. Those who can't read French should be grateful that Fantagraphics is publishing new editions of his works.

Hopefully, we can get another installment (from the same cast and filmmakers) in the proposed franchise someday. I've watched the last 40 minutes five times myself this year.

[Stryfe1000]

Saw this on a flight a couple of years ago. Was difficult to make out the subtitles on the rubbish little screen but was still excellent.

[mystrymachine]

Hmm I found the full movie on youtube. I will have to watch it after work today.

 

 

[sakaridis]

Hopefully, we can get another installment (from the same cast and filmmakers) in the proposed franchise someday. I've watched the last 40 minutes five times myself this year.

A second Adele movie would be

 

But I don't think there's any chance of that happening

[davidpg]

I'll assume it's around in French also...being fluent in that language is now good for more than picking up strippers!

[vaillant]

Adele Blanc-Sec is a classic work of Tardi, but I’m pretty sure Luc Besson have left the impression of his own style in it.

And… comic, yes, but not comic book, the dominating format in france has always been magazine sized and then hardcover albums.

[NewEnglandGothic]

Hopefully, we can get another installment (from the same cast and filmmakers) in the proposed franchise someday. I've watched the last 40 minutes five times myself this year.

A second Adele movie would be

 

But I don't think there's any chance of that happening

Yeah, I know.

 

It just sucks because they took genuine risks to have something totally outside the box and original, but to also know "that's it".

 

I guess in the end you have to be grateful for what was made. I want to see more Louise Bourgoin in action/fantasy movies like this. She definitely can carry something in these genres.

[sakaridis]

I guess in the end you have to be grateful for what was made. I want to see more Louise Bourgoin in action/fantasy movies like this. She definitely can carry something in these genres.

Well, she's started getting cast in productions on your side of the Atlantic recently, so who knows, she might end up in a Hollywood superhero film at some point.

[Davenport]

I guess in the end you have to be grateful for what was made. I want to see more Louise Bourgoin in action/fantasy movies like this. She definitely can carry something in these genres.

Well, she's started getting cast in productions on your side of the Atlantic recently, so who knows, she might end up in a Hollywood superhero film at some point.

Had a chance to watch Adèle and wow, what a fun movie. Sort of had a Hellboy feel to it, in the the sense of making outlandish fantasy elements flow nicely and make sense. Smooth as butter. Really enjoyed it.

 

And yeah, the lead actor is ridiculously photogenic. Too bad Besson couldn't manage to put her in every scene.

 

[NewEnglandGothic]

I guess in the end you have to be grateful for what was made. I want to see more Louise Bourgoin in action/fantasy movies like this. She definitely can carry something in these genres.

Well, she's started getting cast in productions on your side of the Atlantic recently, so who knows, she might end up in a Hollywood superhero film at some point.

Had a chance to watch Adèle and wow, what a fun movie. Sort of had a Hellboy feel to it, in the the sense of making outlandish fantasy elements flow nicely and make sense. Smooth as butter. Really enjoyed it.

 

And yeah, the lead actor is ridiculously photogenic. Too bad Besson couldn't manage to put her in every scene.

 

 

Her chemistry with her sister Agathe (Laure de Clermont) was excellent also. I loved the bickering, always fighting sisters on shopping trips or art classes in the deleted scenes. You could tell the affection she had for her to go to these great measures to find a cure for her condition.

[Sardo Numspar]

Will download this today. Thanks for the info. I recently watched Snowpiercer (based on a graphic novel),which was phenomenal.

[Davenport]

Her chemistry with her sister Agathe (Laure de Clermont) was excellent also. I loved the bickering, always fighting sisters on shopping trips or art classes in the deleted scenes. You could tell the affection she had for her to go to these great measures to find a cure for her condition.

No spoilers, but the whole thing with the sister's condition had me wondering WTF? whenever Agathe was shown. The flashback scenes that finally explained it all, the way it was constructed, the way it unfolded, the voice-overs, everything about that sequence was frinkin' BRILLIANT. And why Luc Besson is a master-level director.